rolling on the piano

[shadowkeys]

I was wondering  what i can do to pratice perfecting my rolls while i do my runs on the piano

[T-Block]

A roll is another name for an arpeggio. So, basically just take your chord(s) and play each note one at a time, holding down previous notes. Start slow then increase speed as your fingers gain accuracy. Practicing rolling/arpeggiating the chord fowards and backwards. Start with this chord for practice:

AbM7= Ab-C-Eb-G

foward: Ab(hold), C(hold), Eb(hold), G(hold)  REPEAT

backward: G(hold), Eb(hold), C(hold), Ab(hold)  REPEAT

Like I said, start off playing it slow, then gradually increase the speed. Once you can do it good in one spot, practice arpeggiating over 2 octaves forwards and backwards. Then 3 octaves, 4octaves, etc. until it becomes second nature.


After you can do this for a chord in root position, next try doing the chord inversions:

AbM7= Ab-C-Eb-G (root position), C-Eb-G-Ab (1st inv.), Eb-G-Ab-C (2nd inv.), G-Ab-C-Eb (3rd inv.)

foward: Ab(hold), C(hold), Eb(hold), G(hold)  REPEAT
             C(hold), Eb(hold), G(hold), Ab(hold)  REPEAT
             Eb(hold),G(hold),Ab(hold),C(hold)  REPEAT
             G(hold), Ab(hold), C(hold), Eb(hold)  REPEAT

backward: G(hold), Eb(hold), C(hold), Ab(hold)  REPEAT
                 Eb(hold), C(hold), Ab(hold), G(hold)  REPEAT
                 C(hold), Ab(hold), G(hold), Eb(hold)  REPEAT
                 Ab(hold), G(hold), Eb(hold), C(hold)  REPEAT

[T-Block]

Another thing is the way you're sitting at the keyboard. Make sure you wrists aren't super bent or else you will damage something. Let your fingers do all the work and not your arms.

[cbass110]

How can i come up with more runs

[Docdb04]

How can i come up with more runs

The key to runs is to learn your scales (major, minor, penatonic, modes, etc) and understanding how your chords are built.  Runs are built off of these two elements, sometimes combined together.  You also have to rely on your ear to hear which combination of notes can be played over a certain chord.  It takes practice.